FAQs
Our new approach to referrals is that we will conduct an assessment which will look for the presentations of both ADHD and ASC. However, there are age restrictions because Child Development Centres, who are part of other NHS organisations locally, also offer assessments for ASC.
Each area has a different referral process so please see your area for further information.
Making a referral - (ADHD)
CAMHS accepts referrals for concerns regarding ADHD for children aged 6 and above. The referral should identify presenting concerns which include where education and daily life appears to be compromised by the young person's inability to focus, or where there are abnormally high activity levels.
Referrals are accepted from professionals, parents and the young person.
Making a referral - Autistic Spectrum Conditions (ASC)
CAMHS accepts referrals for concerns regarding Autism for children aged 11 and above. The referral should identify concerns about social interaction and communication, restrictive and or repetitive behaviours/routines. The referral should include information about past and current concerns, giving examples of the young person's presentation in different settings, including education and at home.
Referrals are accepted from professionals, parents and the young person.
Making a referral - Autistic Spectrum Conditions (ASC)
CAMHS accepts referrals for concerns regarding Autism for children aged 11 and above. The referral should include information about past and current concerns, giving examples of the young person's presentation in different settings, including education and at home.
Referrals are accepted from professionals, parents and the young person.
More information on how to refer can be found here.
We are only commissioned to carry out assessment and diagnosis. We also review medication for those who require ADHD medication following a diagnosis. This means that we will signpost families and young people to support networks locally and nationally for behaviour and sleep difficulties.
For mental health issues, please see the main CAMHS website for further help.
The level of need for this service is resulting in growing waiting times. We would like to apologise for the anticipated delay, the possible frustration that you may feel as a result and the impact it may be having. We will write to you when an appointment becomes available.
To help us focus our efforts on seeing young people on our waiting list and offer appointments as soon as possible, we would be grateful if you could only contact the service if your child's presentation changes significantly.
So that it is fair for those waiting, we generally do not move a young person up the waiting list or see a young person sooner. We will only consider seeing a child/ young person sooner if there is a high risk clinical need which has been confirmed by another appropriate professional.
The report that we send will have recommendations and the outcome of the assessment, including any diagnosis. You are welcome to use these to evidence the conclusion of the assessments. However, we are unable to write additional letters.
We are unable to recommend private assessors. There are many private organisations who are offering assessments for ADHD and ASC. The assessments vary in approaches and quality. It is important to choose a private company which has registered practitioners who are able to perform a robust assessment.
Here is a link to NICE Guidelines:-
Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder: diagnosis and management
Autism spectrum disorder in under 19s: recognition, referral and diagnosis
This will depend on what the outcome of the assessment is and what recommendations for next steps are.
- If a young person receives a diagnosis of autism please let us know and we will remove them from our waiting list. We will give you information about local support and resources available. We will not need to re-assess or rubber stamp a diagnosis of autism made by an external provider.
- If a young person receives a diagnosis of ADHD and is not requiring medicating please let us know and we will remove them from the waiting list.
- If the private provider has made a diagnosis of ADHD and is recommending medication or has initiated medication then we will need to review the information which has been shared with us and see if they meet with our internal minimum clinical standards. This is for legal reasons regarding duty of care for prescribing. We may need to gather more information and meet with the young person to assess if their current presentation warrants medication. On occasions we may conclude that they do not meet criteria for ADHD and/or medication. If this is the outcome we will explain to you how we have reached this conclusion.
Sometimes a conclusive diagnosis is not clearly identified on a report. There may be a number of reasons for this. It could be that the professional is not able to make a diagnosis due to their profession or experience. The report may contain statements such as "… would likely meet criteria" or "….. is suggestive of ADHD." But the summary or "new diagnosis" is not clearly stated. If such a report is shared with us, we can only treat this as further information to help towards our assessment. But the YP will remain on the waiting list until we are able to complete a full assessment.
An Education, Health and Care Plan (EHCP) is a legal document, sometimes called a statutory plan or an EHC Plan, which sets out:
- the child/young person's needs
- the outcomes for that child/young person
- the provision needed to meet their needs/outcomes
- the most appropriate educational placement
EHCPs cover the age range 0-25.
For further information
Education, Health and Care Plans: Examples of good practice
EHC needs assessments & plans (EHCPs) - Amaze)
Special educational needs and disabilities
We are unable to help with the process of an EHCP or an EHC Assessment. EHCPs/EHC Assessments are dealt with within your child's school, usually via the SENCO. However, please note that a diagnosis is not required for support from services, neither is it required for an EHC Needs Assessment, as per the following links (and as further explained in the "Universally Available Provision Document"):
Following our assessment our report will detail the outcome of the assessment and this can be used to support an EHCP.
Please visit our main Sussex Partnership NHS Foundation Trust page here